Ex
USS TWIGGS (Type B -
MONTGOMERY-Class) built by New York
Shipbuilders Co and laid down on 23rd
January 1918. The ship was launched 28
September 1918and build was completed on 28th
July 1919. Transferred under Lease Lend
Agreement she was commissioned in to the RN at
Halifax on 23
October 1940.
as the 2nd RN warship to carry the name,
previously used for a
minesweeper sold in 1928. Following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign held in March 1942 this ship
was adopted by the civil
community of Leamington in Warwickshire.

15th
- Taken in hand for refit and modification by HM
Dockyard
Devonport.

29th
- On completion prepared for convoy escort duty

.

December

Deployed
with escort for Convoy SL56 for part of passage
to West Africa.

15th
- Began work-up at Scapa Flow.

1
9 4 1

January

5th -
On completion joined 2nd Escort Group for
Atlantic convoy escort
duty

12th
- Joined military convoy WS5B at Belfast with H
M Destroyers
WITHERINGTON, BEAGLE, FEARLESS, HARVESTER,
HIGHLANDER, JACKAL, LINCOLN, VANSITTART and
WATCHMAN as the Local Escort
during passage in NW Approaches.

16th
- Detached from WS5B and returned to Clyde.

February
to April

Deployed
with Group in Atlantic.

May

27th
- In collision with ss THYRA which subsequently
sank.

June

Under
repair in Liverpool.

July

On
completion rejoined HM Destroyers DOUGLAS,
VETERAN, SKATE and SALADIN and corvettes of 2nd
Escort
Group based at Londonderry.

11th
- Supported Canadian Escort Group escorting
Convoy SC42 with ships
of 2nd Escort Group. Participated
in sinking of U207 with HMS VETERAN in position
63.59N 34.48W. There were no survivors. (See
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp. For details of
operations in
Atlantic see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC. and
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)

October

Atlantic
convoy escort duty in continuation

.

November

Escorted
Convoy ONS32

.

December

Escorted
Convoys ON39 and HX161.

1
9 4 2

January

Atlantic
escort duty in continuation.

February

Deployed
on Atlantic escort of US Troop convoys to UK and
returning
ships. (AT and TA
Series).

Nominated
with
HM Destroyer VOLUNTEER and HM Escort Destroyers
ALDENHAM and GROVE for Local Escort of
military convoy WS17 during passage

27th
- Participated in sinking of U587 with HM
Destroyers GROVE,
ALDENHAM and VOLUNTEER in
position 47.21N 21.39W. There were no survivors.
(See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp. Note: This was
the first time
radio direction finding equipment had been used
to determine the position of attacking
submarines. For details of
the tactical developments and new weapons used
in the Battle of the Atlantic see SEEK AND
STRIKE by
W Hackmann, RADAR AT SEA by D Howse and THE
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre).

Detached
from WS17 with Local
Escort.

March
to April

Convoy
escort duties in continuation

May

10th
- Joined military convoy WS19 in Clyde with HM
Destroyers KEPPEL,
VOLUNTEER, ST MARY'S and
CASTLETON as Local Escort during passage in NW
Approaches.

13th
- Detached from WS19 with HMS KEPPEL and HMS
VOLUNTEER.

June

1st -
Joined military convoy WS19P at Liverpool with H
M Destroyers
KEPPEL, DOUGLAS, WELLS and
BEAGLE as Local Escort during passage in Irish
Sea and NW Approaches.

4th -
Detached from WS19P with HMS KEPPEL and HMS
WELLS and returned to
Clyde.

Detached
and took return
passage. (Note: This
convoy was later designed WS19Y.)

Detached
for escort duty with Home Fleet ships.

30th
- Joined escort for Russian convoy PQ17 with HM
Destroyers FURY,
KEPPEL, OFFA, LEDBURY and
WILTON (For details
of all Russian Convoy operations, see CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by R A Ruegg and CONVOY ! by P Kemp).

July

4th -
Remained with escorts when Convoy PQ17 was
ordered to scatter by
Admiralty. (For details
this disastrous and ill conceived decision see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and
THE
CONVOY IS TO SCATTER by J Broome)

Deployed
on escort duty with RCN ships for defence of
convoys to
mid-Atlantic.

March

Deployed
to assist 5th British Escort Group (Note: Ships
in Group comprised H M Destroyer
HAVELOCK, HM Frigate SKATE, HM Corvettes
GODETIA, PIMPERNEL, BUTTERCUP, LAVENDER and
SAXIFRAGE) in defence of Convoy SC122
against attacks from STURMER Group of U-Boats

17th
- After Escort Group had established position of
U-Boats from
detection of radio signals took part in driving
off some submarine attacks although three ships
were
sunk by U338 and one by U665. (See
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR.)

Passage
to Kola as part of Convoy JW59 with other
warships transferred
to Russia under Lease-Lend.

P o s t W a r N
o t e s

ZHGUCHI
served with Russian
Northern Fleet until 1950 and was formally
handed back to RN control on 13th
November that year. After being placed on the
Disposal List she was sold to
BISCO for demolition by Cashmore at Newport on
26th July 1951. Before arrival
at breakers yard on 3rd December 1951 she had
been hired by a film company to
be used an extra during the making of THE GIFT
HORSE. This film portrayed the
use of this type of destroyer during RN
service and culminated in final destruction
during Operation CHARIOT for demolition of the
dry dock gates at St Nazaire in
March 1942.